Deaconess Hospital achieves 'magnet' designation for patient care

Debi Wilson, Nurse and department manager, hugs co-worker Claire Bennett, staff nurse and Magnet specialist, while congratulating each other after hearing the announcement that the hospital earned the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet designation award on Tuesday, June 18, 2013. Wilson and Bennett were on the committee that worked on the application which then lead to a four-day site visit that earned them the award. The designation last four years and at that time the hospital can reapply for re-designation.

EVANSVILLE COURIER & PRESS

Nurses from Deaconess Hospital cheer as they celebrate hearing the announcement that the hospital earned the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet designation award on Tuesday, June 18, 2013. The award is one of the top regarded awards that can be received by a health care organization and is received for excellent nursing practices and patient outcomes.

EVANSVILLE COURIER & PRESS

Nurses from Deaconess Gateway Hospital and Deaconess CrossPointe gather via webcam to listen to the announcement made that the hospital earned the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet designation award on Tuesday, June 18, 2013. The award is one of the top regarded awards that can be received by a health care organization and is received for excellent nursing practices and patient outcomes.$RETURN$$RETURN$

EVANSVILLE COURIER & PRESS

Jill Buttry, Magnet program Director, left, Cherona Hajewski, chief nursing officer, center, and Linda White, CEO of Deconess Hospital, right, listen to the announcement that the hospital earned the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet designation award on Tuesday, June 18, 2013. The award is one of the top regarded awards that can be received by a health care organization and is received for excellent nursing practices and patient outcomes.

EVANSVILLE COURIER & PRESS

EVANSVILLE - Deaconess Hospital, Inc., has achieved national recognition for the quality of its nursing and patient care.

On Tuesday, Deaconess announced that it has earned "Magnet" designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Magnet institutions earn the designation based on their record of nursing excellence, innovations in nursing and patient outcomes.

"It is a very very proud moment," Chief Nursing Officer Cherona Hajewski told the more than 200 Deaconess employees assembled for the announcement.

"We've been working at this for a while."

The magnet designation applies to Deaconess' main hospital in Evansville as well as Deaconess Gateway Hospital and Deaconess Cross Pointe.

In order to earn Magnet designation, a hospital must complete a lengthy application process that includes documenting both clinical data and anecdotal examples of nursing care. The process also involves a four-day site visit by an appraisal team. Deaconess had its site visit in April.

The official word was delivered to the group from the credentialing center's chairwoman, Dr. Deborah Zimmerman, who participated via telephone. The call was placed on a speakerphone setting so that the entire group could hear Zimmerman's remarks.

Zimmerman said the appraisal team especially noted Deaconess' interdisciplinary approach to patient care and its workplace atmosphere.

"Throughout Deaconess there is a sense of teamwork, compassion and family," Zimmerman said.

Hajewski said Deaconess is the 14th Indiana hospital, and the 396th nationwide, to have achieved Magnet designation.

St. Mary's Medical Center and Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes are the only other Magnet hospitals in the Tri-State, according to the American Nurses Credentialing Center's website.

Achieving Magnet designation has several benefits for a hospital, Hajewski said.

It can help attract and retain not just nurses, but doctors and others who recognize Magnet hospitals are good places to work. The Magnet designation encourages nurses to become actively engaged and involved in patient care decisions, which can improve overall patient care and safety.

"You can't be a good hospital without great nurses," Hajewski said.

Deaconess employs more than 1,000 nurses, and nurses make up about a third of Deaconess' total employees, Hajewski said.

Among the employees who helped assemble Deaconess' Magnet materials was Claire Bennett, a registered nurse who works on the surgery oncology unit at Deaconess Gateway.

The Magnet designation, Bennett said, is a confirmation of what Deaconess does every day.

"It means we're recognized for the care that we knew we already provided."

Though the Magnet designation focuses on nursing, Bennett said the honor also reflects well on Deaconess' physicians, therapists, pharmacists and other staff.

"This is not just about nursing, because we (nurses) can't do our job without them," Bennett said.

Magnet designation lasts for four years, at the end of which a hospital can reapply.